Feel Bad to Feel Good

"I never choose to count my blessings, instead I choose to dwell on my disasters."

I used to listen to this line and feel slightly depressed because it did describe me. I actually hear it a completely different way now. I don't revel in my past happiness, but it is basically because I inherently don't have to. When I'm happy, that is the benefit and I leave it at that. I'm not going to look back on the happiness I find now with nostalgia. Instead I look back on my failures and see how they define me.

I bought a shirt from Life is Good that reads, "If the World were Perfect, It wouldn't be." I think that this is amazing practical advice. Some of the most poignant and influential experiences in my life have come because I stopped listening to the voice in my head saying that it wouldn't be a good idea. Mistakes make us who we are. I don't define myself by my successes; I define myself by my stupid decisions. Especially when they lead to fun, which they usually do.